Today, Clyde_Frosch and I got together for one last big battle this year. We played with 4,000 points each side according to the rules of the 5th edition and some house rules. I wanted to place a Hierophant at the centre of my army, and after seeing its rules, we agreed that the only mission objective should be its destruction (for the Dark Angels) or its survival (for the Tyranids).
The Dark Angels got the first turn and advanced resolutely with their heavily armoured vehicles. But right at the start, the battle plan began to show cracks: a Land Raider got stuck in a crater, forcing the crew to disembark. In the ensuing shooting phase, the Dark Angels concentrated their fire on the greatest threats from the approaching swarm.
The mighty Hierophant was wounded, losing one health point, and other synapse creatures also suffered from the concentrated fire. The Tervigon and a Carnifex each lost health points, while numerous smaller Tyranids – mainly Hormagaunts – perished in the firestorm.
The Tyranids responded with a massive advance. But still, they would not be able to get in close combat yet. The shooting phase was disappointing: many bio-weapons missed their targets, and even the two Tyrannofexes did little damage. Only the Hierophant showed its destructive power, blowing up the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank and damaging a Land Raider Crusader.
In the second turn, the Dark Angels increased the pressure considerably. Their fire was devastating: the Tervigon was taken out, two entire Termagant squads were wiped out, and more Tyranids were injured. In close combat, one of the Carnifexes succumbed to the force of Belial and the Assault Terminators' attacks. The Alpha Trygon arrived from reserve – hope sprang up that close combat could turn the tide. The Tyranids continued to advance unabated, and the Hierophant blew up a Land Raider Crusader.
But the third turn brought disaster for the swarm. During the Dark Angels' shooting phase, the Swarm Tyrant, the second Carnifex, and the newly arrived Alpha Trygon fell. In close combat, an Assault Terminator squad charged the Hierophant. Only thanks to lucky saves from the warp field did the gigantic monster lose only one health point, while the Dark Angels lost about a third of their squad. Belial and his Hammer squad decimated the Tyranid Warriors elsewhere on the board. The Tyranid turn was weak: no reserves arrived, the firepower fizzled out, and Belial wiped out the remaining Tyranid warriors in close combat.
In the fourth turn, the Dark Angels did not let up. Once again, fire rained down on the Hierophant, who lost two more life points. In close combat, a Tyrannofex fell, and the Hierophant lost more life points.
Finally, a Lictor arrived from the reserves, but was initially unable to do much. The Tyranids' fire remained ineffective. At least the Hierophant managed to completely wipe out a central Deathwing Terminator squad and recover to six life points through regeneration.
In what could be the decisive fifth turn, the Dark Angels put all their eggs in one basket. All available weapons were aimed at the Hierophant, who was brought down to two health points. Another melee attack followed. But the monster held its ground, tore off a Dreadnought's arms in return, and killed more Terminators.
Finally, more Tyranid reserves arrived: a Mycetic Spore with Zoanthropes struck, and a squad of Genestealers appeared on the left flank. The Zoanthropes' fire slightly damaged a Fellblade, while the Hierophant destroyed the Spartan and further decimated the Terminator squad in close combat. In addition, the Lictor managed to take out a Land Speeder in close combat. The sixth and final turn did not bring any decisive change. The Fellblade was finally blown up by the combined fire of the Zoanthropes and the remaining Tyrannofex. Desperate close combat continued to rage in the centre: Hierophant against more Terminators and the damaged Dreadnought. Despite all their efforts, the Dark Angels were unable to defeat the titanic creature.
Conclusion
The Dark Angels inflicted massive losses on the Tyranids and dominated large parts of the battle. But the price was high, and the Hierophant survived – badly scarred, but unbroken. While the swarm can quickly compensate for its losses, the Dark Angels have lost many brave brothers and numerous irreplaceable artefacts.
We had a lot of fun, and the Hierophant was a real monster. If I had rolled the dice just a little worse, he would certainly have fallen. The Dark Angels’ strength was evident throughout most of the game, as hardly anything else remained of my troops, and they were unable to do anything at all. The Hierophant bore the brunt of the battle and saved the day for the hive mind. A true one-man army.
